ASU and CLA Present: Free PD Program for Teachers
“Ancient Voices, Modern Lessons”
Saturday, March 29th: 9AM – 2PM 
Arizona State University
 

Ancient Voices, Modern Lessons: 
Cultivating Future Citizens with the Greeks and Romans

This half-day workshop brings together innovative approaches to teaching the ancient world, offering educators fresh content and ideas from Classical Greece and Rome to engage middle and high school students. Presentations explore several themes, such as the challenges of navigating controversial figures in canonical texts, the role of women in shaping the Roman state, and the enduring lessons of ancient Athens for modern civic discourse. Attendees will also participate in an interactive session demonstrating how role-playing games can bring ancient Rome to life. By connecting the past to present-day classrooms, this program aims to inspire the curiosity, empathy, and sense of civic responsibility that many teachers strive to cultivate in their classrooms.

The program features four 30-minute talks, breakfast and lunch, and a period for questions and discussion so that participants may get to know one another and share effective strategies in the classroom. Speakers include faculty from Arizona State University and the University of Virginia.  
 

PERKS!

Participants can enter a "draw" to win prizes, including a teacher membership for the American Classical League (ACL) and classics/civics themed books - funded by the Arizona Junior Classical League (AZJCL). There will also be some ACL swag giveaway!

Agenda 

9:00-9:30
Coffee, breakfast, and Registration

9:30-10:00
Matt Simonton, Associate Professor of History, Arizona State University: 
“Ancient Demagogues, Modern Populists: Cultivating Civil Discourse in Troubled Times”

The Greeks understood that democracies could be disturbed from within by political leaders, called “demagogues,” who put their own interests first, pandered to their audiences, and stirred up civil strife. What lessons can we learn from the Greeks’ experience with these ancient populists? Can studying the divisive rhetoric of ancient orators make us better analysts of modern politic discourse, and therefore better citizens?   

10:00-10:10
Break

10:10-10:40
Sarah Bolmarcich, Associate Teaching Professor, Arizona State University: 
“Role Playing Ancient Politics for Education and Civic Engagement”

The power of the people to select their own leaders has been a bedrock principle of democratic governments since the time of the Greeks and Romans. This presentation demonstrates a single-class-session game that simulates an ancient Roman political election––canvassing voters, making promises, raising money, fending off rivals, and tallying votes. This role-playing activity is a fun way to introduce students to the practices of civic engagement from the premodern world to the present. The workshop will offer guidance and resources so that teachers can adapt it for their own classes.

10:40-10:50
Break

10:50-11:20
Paul Arena, Assistant Teaching Professor, Arizona State University: 
“Female Heroism and Sacrifice in the Roman Republic”

Movies like Gladiator II often portray the Roman world as an arena of manhood and might. But this talk reveals the importance of Roman women, such as Lucretia and Verginia, in displaying exemplary virtue during the founding of the Republic. The workshop will provide materials on some of the remarkable women of the Roman world whose stories can be taught across a variety of classes.

11:20-11:30
Break

11:30-12:00
Jacqueline Arthur-Montagne, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Virginia: 
“Bad Books: Reading and Teaching Controversial Characters in Classical Antiquity”

Teaching students to navigate controversial characters in literature and history is a timeless challenge. This talk examines strategies used by ancient educators, from Plato to Augustine, to address characters whose actions horrified yet captivated their students. Rather than endorsing a single teaching method, these ancient approaches encourage us to engage students in reflecting on the value of “bad” characters and their stories in fostering curiosity, empathy, and civic responsibility.

12:00-1:00
Lunch Break

1:00-1:45
Group Discussion

1:45-2:00
Evaluations, Good bye

This program is sponsored by Arizona State University, UVA Center for the Liberal Arts, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.